Category: Newsletter-articles
International Cooperation Forum 2025 at ETH Zürich
At this year’s International Cooperation Forum, the Urban Transformation Project Sarajevo – including the first Urban Digital Twin for the Canton of Sarajevo was presented. The presentation took place during Session 4: Swiss Solutions for Smart Cities, in the presence of Swiss Federal Councilors Ignazio Cassis and Guy More
Kigali Unplanned Neighbourhood Upgrading Tool (KUNUT)
Kigali, Rwanda, has emerged as a pioneer in urban and digital transformation. Kigali sets a new inversed model of city development that expands from its hilltops downwards to the vital wetlands. The Kigali Unplanned Neighbourhood Upgrading Tool (KUNUT) provides a research platform that integrates digital technology with ecological More
At the Ends of Autobahn Urbanism
For a century, highways have shaped cities, economies, and national identities. But in November 2024, Swiss voters rejected a CHF 5 billion highway expansion, signaling a shift away from infrastructure-led urbanisation. As nations worldwide double down on highway-driven growth, Switzerland’s moratorium invites us to rethink mobility, territorial organisation, More
Negotiating Space for Housing Cooperatives in Latin America: The Case of Post Conflict Colombia and El Salvador
Can housing cooperatives contribute to reintegrating former combatants into civil society? Can they evolve into a broader housing strategy for marginalised communities? What conditions are necessary for their sustainable growth within national housing systems? This research project examines the emergence of bottom-up housing cooperative initiatives by former combatants More
Regionale Effekte von Wohnungsknappheit in urbanen Gebieten
Durch die anhaltende Attraktivität von Städten als wirtschaftliche, kulturelle und soziale Zentren ist Wohnungsknappheit in Metropolitanräumen in ganz Europa zu einem akuten Problem geworden. Das Angebot an Wohnraum in Kernstädten konnte mit der Nachfrage nicht Schritt halten, weshalb dieses Forschungsprojekt die Auswirkungen der Wohnungsknappheit auf die umliegenden Regionen More
Architekturen der Familie. Tagung zu den Dynamiken des Zusammenlebens und Anforderungen an den Wohnungsmarkt
Während sich Familienstrukturen in der Schweiz rasant verändern, hält der Wohnungsmarkt weitestgehend an traditionellen Modellen fest. Das ETH Forum Wohnungsbau «ARCHITEKTUREN DER FAMILIE» beleuchtet aktuelle Dynamiken des Zusammenlebens und innovative Wohnformen. Expert:innen aus Forschung, Architektur und Immobilienwirtschaft diskutieren Lösungen für die Herausforderungen des sozialen Wandels.
Den Lebensraum der Zukunft gestalten
Der ETH Master-Studiengang Raumentwicklung und Infrastruktursysteme bietet eine fundierte, interdisziplinäre Ausbildung in Stadtplanung, Mobilität und Infrastrukturmanagement. Durch die Verbindung von Theorie und Praxis entwickeln Studierende nachhaltige Lösungen für aktuelle Herausforderungen. In Kooperation mit Professorinnen, Professoren und Studierenden ist ein kurzes Video entstanden, um Studieninteressierte für diesen Fachbereich und More
Verkehr ’45: UVEK priorisiert Ausbauprojekte für Schiene und Strasse
Die Verbesserungen der Verkehrsinfrastrukturen auf Strasse und Schiene können nicht wie ursprünglich geplant umgesetzt werden. Der jüngste Ausbauschritt für die Nationalstrasse wurde von der Bevölkerung abgelehnt. Die Umsetzung des Angebotskonzepts 2035 der Bahn führt zu erheblichen Mehrkosten. Das Eidgenössische Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation (UVEK) hat More
Holz, Lehm und ein digitales Ökosystem für eine zukunftsfähige Bauwirtschaft
Die gängigen Materialien und Praktiken in der Schweizer Bauwirtschaft sind klimaschädlich, ressourcenintensiv und erzeugen viel Abfall. An der ETH Zürich sind zwei Flagship-Projekte von Innosuisse gestartet, um das Schweizer Bauwesen nachhaltig zu transformieren: Während «Swircular» das Fundament für eine zirkuläre Bauwirtschaft legt, ermöglicht «Think Earth» regeneratives Bauen mit More
Why the Rejection of the 2023 Expansion Step for the National Roads? Idea for a National Overall Mobility Concept
On November 24, the Federal Expansion Step 2023 for Road was put up for a public vote. The Expansion Step 2023 is a project programme for national roads consisting of six major projects, including the widening of the A1 highway between Bern and Nyon, as well as three More
New Ruralities (NERU)
New Ruralities (NERU) is an Erasmus+ Cooperation partnerships programme, which brings together six design units within the universities of ULB (Brussels), POLITO (Torino), UDC (La Coruña), UMinho (Braga), UACEG (Sofia) and ETH (Zürich). The Newrope chair is participating on behalf of ETH. The partnership’s aim is to generate More
History and Theory of Architecture VIII: Seen from the South
A new core theory course for master’s students taught for the third time in spring 2025 argues that the list of ‘great’ cities needs to be rethought. Given the diversity of urbanisms around the world, it would be a disservice to limit one’s perspective to theoretical notions originating More
Nature conservation and Indigenous territories – Transitioning from the biological to the biocultural
The 16th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) took place in Colombia during the last two weeks of October 2024. The city of Cali became the main stage for intergovernmental efforts to protect nature. A key outcome of the summit was recognising the More
Developing a Unity-based Tool to Integrate Sound into Landscape Design and Evaluation
The acoustic quality of outdoor spaces is receiving increasing attention in planning and design disciplines. Yet, it is very difficult for non-experts in acoustics to include the effects of landscape changes on the so-called soundscape in their daily work. In the Innovedum project «Unity App for Soundscape Design More
Creating a Situated and Multilayered Understanding of Global Production Space Through Collective Interventions
Rooted in the tension between concrete locations and global networks, between movement and stillness, space and place, and between clusters and dispersed zones, global production landscapes are challenging to understand. Where do these production spaces originate? Who owns, designs, and manages them? Due to the opaque nature of More
Responsiveness of Transport Infrastructure Planning Processes
Responsiveness of planning processes is the ability to meet changing societal transport needs quickly in ways that are acceptable to all stakeholders. In Switzerland, considerable traffic jams and overfilled trains indicate that planning processes could be made more responsive. As delays for travelers persist, their needs are not More
DAM Book Award 2024 for «Researching Otherwise»
Multi-disciplinarity is on the agenda for the contemporary architectural debate, and Researching Otherwise – edited by ETH-based scholar Nitin Bathla – takes a broad look at the topic. Divided into three chapters dedicated to transdisciplinary, sensory, and restitutive methods, the book presents pluriversal research projects, which range from More
NSL Forum & Cycling Research Board: Video and Manifesto now online!
Did you miss the NSL Forum and Cycling Research Board «Digital Twins for Europe’s Future Mobility», on September 4th? The video link is now available on the event website! In addition, for a quick read and an overview of the workshops, you can download the «Collective Manifesto for More
Call for Papers: Sustainable Built Environment Conference (SBE25)
We are thrilled to announce the Sustainable Built Environment Conference (SBE25), which will be held from June 25 to 27, 2025 in Zürich. The conference topic is “Shaping Tomorrow: Systems Thinking in the Built Environment”. Releasing over 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consuming over 40% of More
Call for Papers: NSL Colloquium 2024: Beyond Maintenance: Responsive Practices for Changing Landscapes
The NSL Colloquium will take place February 26-28 2025 at ETH Zürich and publishes an open call for submissions until November 8, 2024. The colloquium will investigate the relationship between the design and maintenance of living systems, seeking to cultivate practices, terminology, and theoretical insights into approaches that More
Cost Benefit Analysis of Cycling Infrastructure
Cost-benefit analysis is a tool frequently used in project appraisal to justify the implementation of infrastructures. Due to insufficient recorded data, the construction costs and safety benefits of urban bicycling infrastructure are difficult to estimate, weakening the appraisal and implementation of such projects. In this research, we conducted More
Equitable Urban Traffic Management Systems with Karma Congestion Pricing
Most cities do not charge for driving. Do you think that is fair? It causes externalities such as noise and pollution to residents and shops. In peak-hours of congestion, valuable life time, money, and fuel are wasted. Do you think driving in the city should be priced? Do More
“I find the entire mobility system fascinating”: An Interview with Eva Heinen
What Does the Swiss Landscape Need Today? An Interview with Martina Voser
Martina Voser was a Visiting Professor at ETH Zurich from 2021. At the end of 2023, she was appointed Full Professor of Landscape Architecture. She talks about the profound changes that the Swiss landscape is facing and how her chair can develop the necessary transformation processes together with More
Increasing Realism in Modelling Energy Losses in Railway Vehicles
Renewable energies in the field of tension between social demands
The Swiss energy system is set to undergo a significant transformation through the integration of photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy installations, as outlined in the Energy Strategy 2050. However, these installations impact public perception of the landscape and may lead to conflicts with various socio-economic or ecological interests. More
Digital Twin für Sarajevo
Professor Hubert Klumpner’s chair designed the first AI-supported 4D model for Sarajevo. It takes spatial and temporal dimension into account in urban planning and was the basis for public hearings. “To map the complexity of the city, we need new methods, processes and technologies,” says Klumpner.
A Comprehensive Toolbox for Flood Risk Mitigation in Refugee Settlements
SPUR launches a comprehensive toolbox for flood risk mitigation in refugee settlements: www.humanitarian-risk.org. The toolbox includes a GIS tool to create flood risk maps and mitigation strategies, a compendium of flood risk mitigation measures and a participatory risk mapping methodology. We are thankful for the support of our More
Virtualizing Urban Transition
At a time of global anthropogenic paroxysms, initiatives for urban transition are multiplying to ensure quality and resilience of life in cities. In particular, public open space holds immense potential for rapid adaptation to mitigate the severe risks to human health arising from global warming, pollution and pandemics. More
Planungstools zur besseren Integration von Biodiversität und Ökosystemleistungen in raumrelevante Entscheidungen
Der Aktionsplan Biodiversität soll den Zustand der Biodiversität in der Schweiz verbessern. Ein wichtiger Faktor ist der Einbezug von Ökosystemleistungen/Biodiversität in Raumentscheidungen. In einem Bundesmandat wurde eine Übersicht zu Planungstools erstellt, die dabei helfen können. Es wurden planungsinvolvierte Personen interviewt, um Hindernisse und Nachfrage nach Planungstools zu identifizieren.
Adaptive Planning for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Although a transition to electric vehicles (EVs) has potential to greatly reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, it faces significant challenges, including range anxiety and limitations in battery capacity. Effective long-term planning for EV charging infrastructure can overcome these barriers and increase the chances of widespread adoption.
«Die Raumplanung kann mit ihren Instrumenten einen wichtigen Beitrag zu mehr Wohnraum und lebenswerten Räumen beitragen.»
Damian Jerjen ist neu – nebst seinem Engagement am EspaceSuisse – als Professor of Practice beim NSL, ETH Zürich, in der Grundausbildung für die Raumplaner:innen tätig. Im Interview spricht er über die besten Strategien gegen die Wohnraumknappheit, das Gesetz über eine sichere Stromversorgung, das im Juni zur Abstimmung More
Empowering the Next Generation: Illustrating Landscape Systems by Computation
Landscape systems are intricate and challenging to illustrate effectively. The BeingAliveLanguage, a groundbreaking software integrated into Rhino/Grasshopper, revolutionizes the visualization of soil-centric information. Developed by ETH Zurich’s “Chair of Being Alive,” this tool empowers designers and planners to create expressive, automated illustrations that support decision-making processes.
Drive Forward: Revolutionizing Traffic with Advanced Vehicle Trajectory Reconstruction
Understanding how vehicles move is crucial for safer, more coordinated, and smarter transportation systems. However, directly observing vehicle trajectories is impractical, posing a challenge to obtaining accurate trajectory data with limited sensing capabilities. We explore our innovative approach to vehicle trajectory reconstruction, reshaping the future of traffic management.
“The image of Heidi’s Switzerland will change and there will be new natures”
“The term ‘Alpine fallow lands’ was a provocation”
Sociology professor Christian Schmid will retire this year. In an interview with Andres Herzog, he looks back on his time at the ETH Studio Basel, which sparked discussions with the book “Switzerland: An Urban Portrait” and whose publications will be freely available online as Open Access from May.
Globale Modellierung des ländlichen Strassenverkehrs ausserhalb der Städte
Der Verkehr auf ländlichen Strassen ausserhalb der Städte kann erhebliche negative Auswirkungen auf die Ökologie und Umwelt von Natur- und Agrarlandschaften haben. Der Umfang dieser Auswirkungen kann jedoch nicht bestimmt werden, da in vielen Ländern keine Daten zum Verkehrsvolumen auf ländlichen Strassen verfügbar sind. Deshalb haben wir einen More
Maintenance and Advanced Analytics in Railways
On-Board Monitoring techniques, defined as using commercial trains to monitor the track status, have garnered much attention recently. While data come in relatively low quality, OBM is a low-cost and efficient alternative to traditional monitoring methods. Thus, funded by the ETH Mobility Initiative project OMISM, this study checks More
Damian Jerjen named «Professor of Practice»
Damian Jerjen is currently Director of the Swiss association for spatial planning EspaceSuisse and Lecturer at ETH Zurich and other Swiss universities. He is an economist and spatial planner. He serves on various bodies, including the Council for Spatial Planning (ROR). At EspaceSuisse, he supports and brings together More
How Will the Railway Look Like in 2050?
Envisioning a Cycling-centric Future: Urban Traffic Modeling and Management for a Bi-modal Network
Allocating dedicated road space to slow modes is considered an effective way toward a radical modal shift. By exploiting traffic flow theoretical knowledge, convenient models can be developed to help evaluate the influence of such a large-scale transformation on network traffic performance. Novel strategies for bi-modal urban traffic More
Stress Testing Transport Systems
Transportation systems are vital for economic and social development, yet are susceptible to disruptions caused by natural hazards, especially considering the adverse impacts of climate change on increasing the intensity of frequency of climatic hazards. To manage these risks effectively, stress testing, as a diagnostic tool, has shown More
Prof. Dr. Eva Heinen appointed as Full Professor of Transportation and Mobility Planning
Professor Eva Heinen (*1981), currently Full Professor at the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany, was appointed as Full Professor of Transportation and Mobility Planning in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. Eva Heinen’s interdisciplinary research looks at mobility and transportation at the intersection of sustainable development, More
Martina Voser Appointed Full Professor of Landscape Architecture
Martina Voser, currently owner and member of the Executive Board of mavo Landschaften gmbh and Visiting Professor at ETH Zurich, is now Full Professor of Landscape Architecture in the Department of Architecture. Martina Voser is regarded as one of the leading figures in Swiss landscape architecture and has More
City of Codes
The city of Zurich is a testament to the incredible power of urban codes and their influence on urban form. From the mid-nineteenth onwards, these codes, such as building laws, norms, standards, or even municipal constitutions, shaped and reshaped the city into what it is today. The research More
An Advocate of Public Space
Antifragile Urban Mobility: Traffic Control Beyond Resilience
Explore the future of urban mobility with ETH Zürich’s Antigones project. Pioneering antifragility in traffic control, it transcends resilience, adapting to disruptions for efficient and disruption-resistant road networks. Antifragile frameworks can recognize early disruptions and mitigate the negative impact on users and society.
Wie verändert sich das Verkehrsgleichgewicht durch Home office?
Während der COVID-Pandemie haben die Menschen ihr Verkehrsverhalten fundamental angepasst mit Verlagerungen vom öffentlichen Verkehr hin zu Individualverkehr. Insbesondere das Fahrrad erlebte einen regelrechten Boom während dem ersten Lockdown. Home office wurde zum ersten Mal global getestet und dies äusserst erfolgreich: die Pandemie hat die Home office Verbreitung More
Adaptive Urban Planning for an Uncertain Future: Infrastructure Interventions for the Technological Shift in Transportation
Planning cities to adapt to the future is challenging due to complex interactions between mobility, infrastructure, and land use. This challenge is exacerbated by the need to study future uncertainties such as ever-shifting demographics and industrial landscape, increased environmental and climatic changes, disruptive and unpredictable technological development, and More